The Rebirth of a Scorned Heiress

“What’s going on here?” Lily demanded as she walked into Lily’s fashion to see the place in total disarray, with several people holding up their cameras and Alana standing in the middle with a lady dressed in high-end outfits and expensive jewellery.

Lily’s eyes were met by Alana’s frustrated ones, and she quietly walked to the middle. “Are you the manager here?” The rich second-generation lady asked arrogantly. Her face filled with contempt as she glared at Lily, who was dressed in a simple sweatshirt, and joggers and had just returned from her evening jog.

“Yes, I am Lily, the owner of this place,” Lily replied. “How may I be of help?” She hacked politely, and the lady sneaked out, giving her a disgusted look.

“I see,” she drew out without making any effort to continue her words.

Bewildered, Lily turned to Alana with a raised brow, and the other began to explain. “She is a fashion influencer, and she works here, offering to advertise our products, and as a repayment, we have to give her a piece from all our limited edition designs, including the piece we used for the national competition finals,” Alana began.

“Of course, I told her we didn’t need her services. I was very polite when I said those words, but it made her angry that I rejected her offer, and she began to throw tantrums,” Alana explained carefully.

“How dare you lie about what happened?” One of the people holding the camera asked in annoyance, her tone cold, and filled with accusation.

Alana let out a sigh and turned to the lady who had just spoken “Well, you are free to tell your side of the story,” she urged.

The redhead lady scoffed with an extra attitude, “Everyone knows Bron. She is a popular fashion influencer that major brands beg to work with her.” She spat arrogantly while throwing Alana a glare.

“Of course, seeing how your small business needs publicity with how good your designs are, she decided to give a helping hand only for her to be rejected by your ungrateful staff, and you are now even accusing her of throwing tantrums for such minor things?! How bold!” She explained while raising her voice at the end.

Another lady with the camera stepped up to continue from where her companion had stopped. “Is this how you treat your guests in this place?” She demanded. “Reject their goodwill while insulting and accusing them.”

“For such a small business like yours, aren’t you being too overbearing?!” She continued. “People like you should leave the industry!” She declared, and the other people joined in while chanting.

“Leave the industry! We don’t want you!”

Lily frowned in annoyance at their display. Without needing to investigate, she could tell these people were here to cause trouble for her under someone’s instigation.

Her mind flashed to Frederick, thinking he was behind the whole thing.

Of course, their encounter yesterday, and the way she had spoken to him must have challenged his ego. What she never expected, however, was for him to use such underhanded methods to deal with her.

Either way, the quicker she resolves the issues, the better for her.

Raising her hand to silence the crowd, Lily addressed Bron directly. “I apologise if there’s been a misunderstanding, but as the owner of this establishment, I stand by my manager’s decision. We’re a small business that values genuine connections with our customers, and we believe our work speaks for itself. We don’t need to rely on publicity stunts or handouts from influencers.” She explained.

Bron’s face turned red with anger, her expensive jewellery clinking as she gestured wildly.

“How dare you imply that my help is a publicity stunt?!” she exclaimed. “I am Bron, the most sought-after influencer in the industry! You should be grateful for my attention and generosity.”

“Do you know how many big companies seek to work with me?!” She demanded arrogantly.

Lily remained calm, despite the fury in Bron’s eyes. “I’m sure you’re very successful in your field,” she replied evenly. “But we don’t believe in trading our hard work for a fleeting moment of attention. Our designs are meant to be cherished and appreciated by those who truly love fashion, not paraded around for likes and shares.”

The crowd gasped at Lily’s bold declaration, and Bron’s face contorted with rage as she looked around at those still recording, making sure they were getting every bit of the drama.

“You’re making a huge mistake!” she spat, her voice venomous. “You’ll regret the day you crossed me, Lily! I’ll make sure no one in this industry ever works with you again.”

Lily chuckled and moved closer to Bron in a daring manner, a bright smile blooming on her face as she looked into her eyes with pride. “Whether or not I remain in this industry doesn’t depend on you.” She spat as she took a step back.

“If truly my manager had insulted you, I would like to apologise for it,” she announced as she picked up the discarded clothes that had been torn during the charade. “Since I have apologised, I would like to ask Miss Fashion Influencer to compensate us for the damage to our goods. Of course, I also have video proof of what happened in here today,” she announced as she gestured to all the cameras at the entrance of the store.

“It also has audio recording functions, so the police would not have problems investigating,” she added with a mischievous smile, and Brons face paled.

She suffered on her feet as she glared at Lily with hatred. When she took the job to sabotage the small business, she thought it would be a walk in the park like it had been with other small businesses in the past.

Who would have thought that both the manager and the owner were not an easy bunch to deal with?

For such a small business, she wasn’t expecting what she had met, and seeing how serious Lily was, Bron could tell that if they continued today, it would never end well for her wobbling career.

To maintain her arrogant appearance, she huffed and brought out her card. “I don’t bully businesses that are on the verge of bankruptcy. I’m sure you could use the extra change anyway; total the cost and remove it here,” she declared, and her minions cheered while some cursed at Lily.

“How dare you charge the goddess for such cheap products?! Don’t you know how to respect those ahead of you?”

“What a money grubber! You need to compensate the goddess for the mental damage!”

“We hate you. Get out of the fashion industry!”

“Such a schemer!”

Through all their insults and yelling, Lily remained polite, and the smile on her face remained just as friendly as it was when she walked in.

Alana took the card and walked away to total the damages. Upon arrival, she gave the bill to Bron, who physically trembled at the cost of the clothes she had damaged.

Seeing her reaction, Lily frowned in concern and asked, “Are you alright?”

Snapping out of her daze, Bron placed the receipt in her bag and looked towards Lily. “Why won’t I be?” She replied. “Afraid I will expose your petty scheme?”© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“There’s no scheme though; the clothes you picked are all new designs that had been paid for, and so we charged you extra because of the delay your mistake caused,” she explained.

“Now that everything has been settled, please take your leave. Of course, you all are welcome to patronise our small business in the future,” she offered politely while gesturing for them to leave.

Bron intentionally bumped into Lily, and she hissed out, “This isn’t over. I hope you have just as much courage as you did here today.”